Pittsburgh @ Toronto preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 16, 2011 ) Toronto 5, Pittsburgh 3

THE STORY: The Pittsburgh Pirates look to strengthen their chances of reaching the season's halfway point with a .500 record as they open a three-game interleague series with the host Toronto Blue Jays on Tuesday night. The teams have met just six times, with Toronto winning four of those. Pittsburgh took two of three the last time the teams faced off in 2008.

TV: 7:07 p.m. ET, Root (Pittsburgh), Rogers Sportsnet (Toronto)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Pirates RH Kevin Correia (9-6, 3.65 ERA) vs. Blue Jays LH Jo-Jo Reyes (3-6, 4.34 ERA).

Correia is coming off his first victory since June 1, allowing four runs (three earned) in six innings of a 5-4 triumph over the Baltimore Orioles. The 30-year-old has thrived in his first season with the Pirates, leading the staff in victories while walking just 23 batters in 101 innings. He's 0-1 all-time against Toronto with a 6.43 ERA in seven innings.

Reyes has enjoyed mixed results so far in interleague play, going 1-1 with a 3.24 ERA in three starts against National League opponents. The veteran lefthander fared poorly last time out, allowing four runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings en route to a 5-1 loss to his old club, the Atlanta Braves. Reyes has faced the Pirates just once before, allowing five runs in 5 2/3 frames.

ABOUT THE PIRATES (39-38): Pittsburgh has a long way to go in its quest to finish above .500 for the first time since 1992, but the first-half results have been promising. The Pirates enjoyed a well-deserved day off Monday after taking two of three from the powerhouse Boston Red Sox over the weekend. Pittsburgh's strength has been the pitching staff, which ranks in the top 10 in the majors in ERA to support an offense that remains one of the worst in baseball. Only two Pittsburgh players have faced Reyes, with both Lyle Overbay and Brandon Wood going 1-for-3 against him.

ABOUT THE BLUE JAYS (39-40): Toronto is still within striking distance in the competitive American League East thanks to an impressive sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals over the weekend. With the Jays' ERA among the highest in the majors for the month of June, the offense prevailed in Missouri as Toronto returned to the .500 mark. Its stay there was brief, as the Jays fell 4-2 to Detroit on Monday in a game that was rescheduled after rain forced a postponement back in mid-May. Edwin Encarnacion has the most experience of any Toronto player against Correia, hitting 5-for-17 with a home run.

FINAL PITCH: Toronto scored 26 runs in the three-game series against Pittsburgh the last time the teams met at Rogers Centre back in 2003.